Tim on the issues

Health Care for All

When President Trump and Republicans in Congress tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Tim fought back — standing up for the tens of millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Virginians who would have had their health care taken away. Since the ACA was signed into law, more than 400,000 Virginians have gained access to health insurance, and Tim will continue to oppose efforts to roll it back. He will never support eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and he will continue to ensure that plans provide “essential health benefits,” such as coverage for pregnancy, maternity, newborn care, mental health, and substance use disorders.

Tim also has a plan called Medicare X, which would give all Virginians access to a plan similar to Medicare. This public option would give more Virginians a real choice when it comes to health insurance, at a lower cost. He opposes cuts to Medicare and believes Virginia should expand Medicaid so hundreds of thousands more Virginians can get access to care. Refusing to expand Medicaid would cost Virginia tens of thousands of jobs and tens of millions of dollars. It’s a no-brainer, yet the leading Republican candidates for Senate vocally oppose it.

Tim will also continue to defend the Children’s Health Insurance Program. As Governor, Tim increased the number of children enrolled in CHIP, and more than 68,000 Virginia kids rely on this program for their health care. Earlier this year, after Republicans let CHIP funding lapse, Tim worked hard to help secure a six-year extension of the program.

Tim has also led efforts in the Senate to combat drug addiction, including the opioid and heroin epidemic that threatens Virginia and the rest of the country. He believes new treatments, including medical marijuana, can help address this crisis, and he has fought to expand federal funding for states, like Virginia, to dedicate new resources for drug treatment and prevention.